1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to cargo strap cinching devices, specifically an improved structure manual tensioner that saves materials and space, provides for extremely comfortable manual grasping in a simple structure that prevents slippage, and wherein the entire fabrication procedure is simple and convenient to thereby raise assembly and installation efficiency.
2) Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional manual tensioner, as indicated in FIG. 1, the manual tensioner A is comprised of two major sections, a primary and a secondary member B and C, as well as a movably conjoined spindle D that are assembled together, a pair of ratchet wheels E disposed on the spindle D that revolve with the spindle D, check paws C1 movably situated at the inner surface of the secondary member C, each impelled by a spring C2 to engage the ratchet wheels E, drive pawls B1 pivotably disposed at the inner surface of the primary member B, with the drive pawls B1 having a pull lever B11 formed at one end and, furthermore, each impelled by a spring to engage the ratchet wheels E.
Wherein, the primary member B consists of a handle element B2 fabricated of two similarly shaped pieces, a long section B21 formed at one end of the handle element B2 that provides for grasping, a pivot section B22 at the other end of the long section B21 that is angled and, furthermore, when the two handle elements B2 are conjoined, the ends of the long sections B21 are placed side by side, and following the alignment of the long sections B21, rivets F are utilized to fasten the two long sections B21 and to provide for grasping the riveted long sections B21 a soft grip G is sleeved onto the long sections B21 to enable hand comfort and facilitate the operation of the manual tensioner A, in which the manual tensioner A constrains a strap H movably situated within that achieves the convenient tying down of objects, increases operating personnel safety, and prevents the dangerous dropping of heavy objects.
However, the primary member B does not have material and space saving structure, which increases the weight of the primary member B and does not meet the requirements of economic advantage nor provide industrial utility in that the handling of the primary member B during manual operation cannot be further improved.
Furthermore, when two similarly shaped pieces of the handle element B2 are assembled, the use of a plurality of rivets F to fasten the two long sections B21 together is extremely troublesome and requires a riveting machine, which is quite inconvenient and results in complex and disadvantageous assembly tasks as well as poor assembly efficiency.
Additionally, to increase the comfort at the handheld end of the primary member B, a soft grip G must be arduously sleeved on to facilitate grasping which in addition to requiring another component, the soft grip G often becomes displaced while the manual tensioner A is being operated, which is quite hazardous.
Referring to FIG. 1-A and FIG. 1-B, when the two major sections of the primary and secondary members B and C are pivotably conjoined, the paired semicircular halves of a solid or hollow spindle C are also assembled together.
However, when the manual tensioner A is opened, the paired semicircular halves of the solid semicircular spindle D exerts an applied force that constrains the strap H movably situated therein and the structural strength of the paired semicircular halves of the solid spindle 4 is such that the applied force safely sustain loads; however, the material weight of the solid spindles D is large and wastes more material which increases the weight of the manual tensioner A, precluding the improvement of handling during usage, and does not meet the requirements of economic advantage and industrial utility.
Furthermore, when the paired semicircular halves of the hollow spindle C are utilized, although the material weight is lighter and less materials are utilized, the weight of the manual tensioner A is reduced, handling during usage can be improved, and the requirements of economic advantage and industrial utility are met, the structural strength of the paired semicircular halves of the hollow spindle D is such that the applied force to sustain loads is not as high as that of the solid spindle D, the hollow spindle D tends to deform easier and become incapable of withstanding loads, which is dangerous.
Furthermore, when the strap H is secured between the two lateral support arms C3 at the free end of the secondary member C, an insertion hole C4 must first be inconveniently and tediously formed through the walls of the two lateral support arms C3 which in addition to being an unnecessary finishing task of the secondary member C, further complicating the finishing procedures, and precluding increases in production efficiency also requires the prior installation of an anchor bolt I and a nut J when the belt H is assembled between the two lateral support arms C3; as such, the fabrication procedure is quite troublesome and inconvenient, with the assembly structure being rather complex, increasing the overall weight of the secondary member C, wasting material, and rendering the improvement of handling during utilization impossible, which does not meet the requirements of economic advantage and industrial utility.
Therefore, in view of the shortcomings of the conventional structure, there is a need for an improved structure having greater functionality.
The principal objective of the invention herein is to provide an improved structure manual tensioner in which the primary member consists of a narrow plate of greater and lesser dimensions shaped into a pair of large and small parallel support arms; the large parallel support arm has a cylindrical handle formed contiguous to its free end and a protruding catch hole tab and a rivet hole are disposed in the parallel section of its surface to provide for assembly to the small parallel support arm, thereby enabling the saving of both material and space, which in addition to safety facilitates the control and operation of the manual tensioner such that a strap situated through the manual tensioner can be easily constrained to hold down objects more securely and thereby increase operating personnel safety and prevent the dangerous dropping of heavy objects; and wherein the fabrication procedures of the present invention are simple and convenient, assembly and installation efficiency is increased, and the spindle and the secondary member are structurally straightforward and not difficult to product.